Blame it on the Dog
by CharizardGirl
Summary: You'd think that Raphael might realize that no matter how many times he changed disguises and Fondue followed him, always looking the same, people will begin get suspicious... Apparently not. When Fondue gets taken by Inspector Vergier, Raphael must come up with a plan to rescue Fondue while keeping his secret identity intact. But really, this wasn't Fondue's fault to begin with.
1. 1- Dognapped!

**A/N: Hello, internet! Well, I beat Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure, and I absolutely LOVED IT. Anyways, I was talking to my good friend, TwilightWakerOfTime, and we were discussing how Raphael has so many disguises throughout the game and Fondue has NONE... so we came up with this little fanfic. So I began plotting, scheming, maniacally laughing, and eventually, writing. You guys can blame her for this fic. ...Actually, you can blame a lot of stuff I write on her. But whatever. XD**

**Anyways, I really hope you all enjoy this. It's my first Rhythm Thief fanfic, so I'm sorry if the characters are OOC, but I think I actually stayed pretty close to their actual characters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rhythm Thief. If I did, there would already be a sequel.**

**It's just rated T 'cause I'm paranoid. Might lower it later though... K+ Maybe? X)**

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You would think that Raphael would realize that if his dog followed him everywhere, people would start to notice. No matter how many times he changes into Phantom R and back again, Fondue always looks the same. Really, would it be that hard to just give him a different colored bandana?

So, there he was, walking down the street with Fondue at his side. He was in his regular street clothes (a.k.a. Raphael). It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and he wore a smile on his face, because the previous night he had successfully returned another one of the famous paintings to rightful place in the Louvre. Of course, Inspector Vergier wasn't too happy, but that was because he didn't know the truth.

So, there they were, walking down the street contentedly. They were supposed to be meeting Marie at the convent today and going out to lunch. The two turned a corner and were about to continue on, when all of a sudden Fondue was grabbed from behind. The little dog squealed as he was picked up by the scruff of his neck and thrown into a small animal crate.

"Hey, that's my dog!" Raphael exclaimed.

"What? No! This dog belongs to Phantom R and has been seen at every one of his art heists!" The constable explained.

"N-no…!" Raphael stuttered. They had a point there, but he knew how to handle this type of situation. The constables weren't too bright around here. "Hey, lots of dogs look like this!"

"Yes, but none that I've seen have this same brown spot around their eye and the very same red bandana around their neck," stated a familiar voice. Then, from behind a police car, out stepped Inspector Vergier. Raphael had talked his way out of many situations like this, and now he had to do the same with the Inspector. There was no way he would let anyone take Fondue—the little white dog was the only family he had left.

"So, do you know Phantom R?" Vergier questioned. He eyed Raphael suspiciously before saying, "Are you two related?"

"Uh…no. I've only ever heard of him; I've never met him face-to-face," Raphael easily lied, though it wasn't entirely false. He almost laughed at the sheer irony of his own statement.

"Hmm… are you sure?"

"Yeah, I think I'd remember something like that."

"Alright. Guards, take the boy in for questioning as well."

"What? No! Uh… I mean, my parents will be awfully worried. I should be getting home."

"Don't worry, we'll contact them at the Constabulary HQ. Besides, they'll need to come pick you up."

"But—" Raphael was cut off before he could protest.

"You're coming with us, kid," a constable declared.

Raphael did the only thing he could think of—he ran. _"I'll be back for you, Fondue. Don't worry," _he thought as he took off down the street.

Raphael arrived at his apartment in record time and locked the door behind him. He had made sure that no one followed him; he ditched the officers long ago. He would have to apologize to Marie for missing lunch, but at the moment he couldn't be seen on the streets—as Raphael _or_ Phantom R. The sky was slowly getting darker (he had been taking a walk quite far away from his apartment or the convent), and his stomach growled. He checked the cabinet for food.

Empty.

The fridge contained no food either. _"Right, I was planning on buying groceries while I was out,"_ Raphael remembered. He sighed and lied down on his bed, still in his clothes. He would formulate a plan and maybe even get some sleep before his big rescue mission.

Raphael took off his glasses and set them down on the windowsill. When he went down to the HQ, he couldn't just walk in as Raphael. They would arrest him right away; probably since he ran last time. He certainly didn't think _that_ one through. They would question him about that and about Fondue. If he went in as Phantom R, they would know it really was his dog. Then Fondue wouldn't be able to walk around with him as Raphael anymore… and they'd probably still question him as Raphael. Plus, they had a decent chance of finding out his secret.

The first idea was looking like a better option. Besides, he was a good liar. So, he concluded, the only way to get Fondue back _and _clear his/Raphael's name was to walk in there and get the dog like any normal citizen.

Now he just had to solve the whole "parent" dilemma…

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**Did you all like it? I hope so, because I already have the entire thing written. I just need to type it up, which may take a while...**

**Yeah, it was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but then it got longer and longer... so expect about four(-ish) chapters or so.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and I'll update super-soon! :D**

**~CharizardGirl**


	2. 2- Plan A

**A/N: Ok, well, here's the next chapter. (The entire story is already written, I just need to type it up -.-")**

**Before we move on to the chapter, super-important-A/N time! Now, if you haven't finished the game/gotten past chapter 7, don't read this A/N. Just go about your merry little way and read the following chapter. But if you have gotten through chapter 7 or finished the game, it's quite important that you read the following, because I twisted the rules a bit. Heheh.**

**Spoiler Alert~!**

**So anyways, here's the deal: In chapter 7, we discover that Jean-Francois is actually on Napoleon's side and then he shoots Raphael. Well, in this fanfic, I needed a plot device, and therefore we are just going to pretend that those events never happened, and rather than JF being evil, he still knows Raphael's secret but they just don't get along. Oh, and he still watches out for Marie and stuff. That's it. So basically, he's just a jerk, not a villian in my fanfic. XD**

**Ok, that's it. Please enjoy the chapter, whether you read the A/N or not. :)**

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The next morning, Raphael woke up bright and early, though he hadn't managed to get much sleep in the first place. He was too worried. His stomach rumbled again, but there was no time to go buy food. He put his glasses back on and headed outside.

He reached the HQ in no time, carefully evading the constables along the way. Then, he took a deep breath and walked in the door. Immediately, all eyes were on him. He calmly walked up to Inspector Vergier and stated, "I'm here for my dog."

The Inspector merely blinked at him for a moment. Then, he seemed to come out of his brief second of shock. "Guards! Take the boy into my office. I have a few questions."

Raphael did his best not to just follow his instincts and run; He was on a mission. They stepped into the messy, cluttered office and Inspector Vergier sat down at his desk, signaling Raphael to sit down across from him.

"So, what is your association with Phantom R?" the Inspector asked.

"Uh… well, I've never actually met him," Raphael responded calmly. He'd gone over this a hundred times in his head, and he knew what to do.

"Really now? Then how do you have his dog?"

"It's my dog. I told you," Raphael responded in an annoyed tone.

The Inspector leaned back in his chair and eyed Raphael suspiciously. "Hmm… what is your name, boy?"

"Raphael," Raphael responded, but suddenly realized his mistake.

"Raphael… Phantom R… seems plausible, doesn't it?"

"If you're implying that I'm—"

"Phantom R? Why yes, I believe I am. Let me ask again: seems plausible, _doesn't it?_ Same red hair, same dog, roughly the same height, your name starts with an 'R'… shall I go on?"

"No, because your accusations are completely irrelevant. Now may I have my dog back?" Raphael asked again.

"No, not until I get the truth," Vergier stated coldly.

"Fine. The truth is, I'm a normal kid who goes to school. I have red hair, a white dog, and a name that starts with 'R.' Can I have my dog _now?"_

"I'm not sure I believe you, but I guess I'll let you go. For now. Just know that we'll be keeping a very close eye on you, boy."

"Can I have my dog back?" Raphael repeated for what felt like the millionth time.

"No. I'm sure this dog belongs to Phantom R," Vergier said, partially to himself and partially to Raphael.

Raphael sighed and stood up. Clearly "plan A" didn't work, so he'd need to try a different approach. Inspector Vergier followed him out the door.

"However… I will require that your parents pick you up," the Inspector said. Raphael smirked.

"Alright, let me call them," he said calmly.

"Put in the number. I will speak to them personally," Vergier said.

"Um, alright," Raphael said before putting in the number he had committed to memory. "Ask for Marie," he said as he handed the Inspector the phone, silently praying that she would play along.

"Alright… yes, may I speak to Marie? Hello, this is Inspector Vergier from the Constabulary HQ. We have your son, Raphael, down here and we need you to come pick him up… yes… uh huh… thank you," he finished his conversation over the phone and hung up, then turned to Raphael. "She says your father will be here shortly to pick you up and you have a lot of explaining to do."

Raphael gulped and nodded. He knew he'd have to explain to her what happened, but who in the world was she sending to pick him up?

Raphael sat in the chair in the lobby of the Constabulary HQ, fiddling with his thumbs. To be honest, he was quite nervous. He had no idea who Marie was sending as his "father," and he was a bit worried.

Suddenly, Jean-Francois walked in.

Oh _no_.

To be honest, the two didn't get along. At all. Jean-Francois knew Raphael's secret, and he didn't exactly "approve." He always gave Raphael scrutinizing glares and referred to him as a pest.

Jean-Francois gave Raphael a slight smirk before approaching Inspector Vergier. The guy was going to milk this one for all it was worth, because Marie wasn't there to bail Raphael out.

That jerk.

"Hello there, _son,_" Jean-Francois said with a smirk. "Your mother and I were so very worried about you, young man. This was very irresponsible of you!"

"Er, yes, thank you for coming. You're sure your son has no affiliation with Phantom R, yes?" Inspector Vergier asked.

"Yes, quite so. I would never let a child of mine associate with filthy street urchins like Phantom R. He is nothing but trouble," Jean-Francois said, an evil glint in his eye hidden under his calm, composed mask. Raphael merely glared.

"Hmm… alright. Make sure to report any suspicious activity immediately. Phantom R will rue the day he made a fool of the Paris Constabulary!" Vergier ranted.

"_It's not all that hard to do…" _Raphael thought to himself, though he made sure to keep quiet.

"Yes, I sincerely hope you apprehend him soon. Now, come Raphael, you are in deep trouble!" Jean-Francois said dramatically.

"Sir… this was all just a misunderstanding. It was us who made the mistake," Vergier explained, slightly confused at Raphael's "father's" reaction.

"Oh no, I insist it was his fault! He caused you all this trouble. I've told him not to wear this bright blue outfit or dye his hair this _ridiculous _gaudy hair color. It makes him look _so _much like that scoundrel, Phantom R, don't you think?" Jean-Francois drawled. Raphael knew what he was trying to do.

"It's not dye, and it's a perfectly normal color…" Raphael muttered. "Can we go now, _father?" _Raphael asked.

"Yes, your mother must be quite worried. Come now, we're going home. And when we get there, you are grounded!" Jean-Francois said, still talking in an over-dramatic voice. He grabbed Raphael by the ear and began half-dragging him out. Inspector Vergier just looked on, completely befuddled. As they walked out, Raphael saw Charlie enter the room.

"Father, was that Phantom R?" Charlie asked.

"No, just some boy we tried to arrest by mistake. Raphael or something," Vergier replied, waving it off.

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"You're an idiot."

"Charlotte, hold your tongue!"

While the two of them bickered, Raphael pulled out of Jean-Francois's grasp and took off down the street.

"Insolent child!" Jean-Francois shouted. "Get back here this instant!"

"You're not my father, you creep!" Raphael shouted over his shoulder. He was slightly offended by Jean-Francois's comments, but only just. He'd heard it all before.

At long last, he arrived at the convent and went off in search of Marie. He was about to turn down another corridor when all of a sudden he heard someone calling him from behind.

"Raphael!" Marie shouted. Raphael froze in his tracks and slowly spun around, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He gave her a shy smile.

"Well… uh…" he stammered.

"Your _mother?"_ she exclaimed.

"I can explain."

"You better."

"So I was down at the Constabulary HQ, trying to get Fondue back—don't ask—but they still wouldn't give him back. Then they said a parent needed to come and pick me up, and you're the only one I could think to call. Thanks for playing along," Raphael explained.

"Uh, no problem, I guess," Marie said. "But really? Mother? Not even sister or cousin or something?"

"Sorry, I didn't have all that much time to think. And I still didn't get Fondue back," Raphael said solemnly.

"So now you're going to go do something stupid and/or rash, aren't you?" Marie asked flatly, completely unfazed.

"Yup, pretty much!" Raphael shouted as he ran off.

"Raphael!" Marie shouted after him.

"Don't worry, I won't get caught! Besides, Fondue is the only one I've got now! I'm not leaving him behind!" Raphael shouted.

He was already too far away to hear Marie whisper, "You've got me."

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**A/N: Well, I hope you all liked it and I'll get the next chapter typed up soon! :D**

**~CharizardGirl**


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